Posted
by
samzenpus
on Thursday July 09, 2015 @07:28PM
from the what-are-you-titrating? dept.

McGruber writes: On Wednesday, authorities in the south Fulton County, Georgia town of Hapeville shut down a street for hours and used their bomb squad to search a home. According to the suspect's father, the bomb scare started after his 18-year-old son was arrested for trespassing, entering an abandoned warehouse and salvaging mercury switches, which can be used to detonate explosives. When police searched the teen's home on Virginia Avenue at Rainey Avenue in Hapeville, they said they found chemicals inside. "He's not building bombs. He does do a lot of experiments. A lot of them I don't fully understand, but I'm certain he's not making bombs," said the suspect's father, Allen Mason. Mason says chemistry is his son's hobby and he wants to be a chemical engineer. Mason also said police told him what they found is not illegal to own. One neighbor, who couldn't return home for hours, said he didn't feel the teen was a threat. "I don't see a problem with this, but you have to trust the authorities in they're doing what they think is best," said Curtis Ray. In February 2015, Hapeville authorities evacuated businesses and called out the bomb squad to investigate a pinhole camera that was part of a Georgia University Art Project.

You gotta wonder why he thought it was OK to trespass and steal switches though.

I think "abandoned warehouse" had a lot to do with it. Such abandoned industrial locations certainly were looked at as parts repositories by myself and my friends in our school days. Some of the places we scavenged where shut down 10+ years.

In some ways, biologically, he is still a kid. The part of your brain that does risk management doesn't mature for most people until around 25.You'll notice your car insurance rates went down a lot around that age.

Just because there's some arbitrary legal age for adulthood doesn't mean reality actually reflects that.

I'm gonna go out on a limb here, but I'm going to guess... his parents?

I agree with others, that while he might have technically broken the law, there was no real moral rule/law/whatever to break. He was essentially sifting through garbage. Yes, we can quibble over the legal definition of garbage, but the building was abandoned. This is almost a non-story to me. Kid likes science and wants to go ChemE. He starts experimenting on his own and gets nabbed while scavenging for parts. Police investigate (as they should), and find no threat. The end. BFD.

And who pays for his medical injuries if he gets injured while trespassing in an abandoned building that may well be structurally unsound or otherwise hazardous?

His parent's health insurance, I would imagine.

There's typically a fence around such structures for a reason. One can laugh at the absurdity of the SWAT team getting involved over chemistry experiments without condoning the previous trespass. And, come to think of it, the SWAT team/bomb squad would never have gotten involved if he had procured his mercury legally.....

I will indeed laugh at the absurdity of a SWAT team being involved over chemistry experiments. Because it is absurd. Since 9/11/2001 we as a nation have been scared of our own shadows. We act like frightened children, lashing out at the slightest indication of the possibility of a threat (and yet ironically not noticing or responding to actual threats). It is alternately amusing and infuriating to me.

The GP's comment is part right and part wrong. Fluorescent lights do not pose a danger due to small quantities of mercury.

However Fluorescent lights are far more dangerous than elemental mercury found in switches as mercury is only really a risk in vapour or respirable / ingestible form. You can have an open jar of elemental mercury on your desk beside you, the same kind used in switches and it will do nothing to you. Break a CFL and you'll likely be exposed to a few microgram.

Some kid broke a couple of thermometers in a classroom a couple years ago around here and the EPA was called when word got out to some helicopter parent. They brought in a device to measure the mercury vapor level in the room and the room was declared a hazard after taking the air measurements. The room became a suit-up, limited exposure-time environment while they figured out what to do. Students houses were visited and clothing and shoes bagged for hazmat disposal. Seriously. I believe the room's carpet is now rolled up and buried in a hazardous chemicals disposal facility. The paranoia prevalent today about mercury is ridiculous and is unfortunately being backed up by supposed scientific authorities.

It's funny that my generation is not the one with all the crazy levels of autism claims, and we're the ones that freely played around with mercury in our chemistry classes.

With regard to: "You can have an open jar of elemental mercury on your desk beside you, the same kind used in switches and it will do nothing to you."It depends... Mercury does have a vapor pressure. Go ahead and google it using the terms Mercury and Vapor Pressure. One of the articles I found was on the MIT web site: http://web.mit.edu/cohengroup/... [mit.edu]. It is possible to ingest mercury by being exposed to metallic mercury for a long period of time. I don't think a one time exposure due to broken CFL is going to harm you. On the other hand, deliberately exposing yourself to mercury just to show it is harmless makes no sense.

It's funny that my generation is not the one with all the crazy levels of autism claims, and we're the ones that freely played around with mercury in our chemistry classes.

We were still playing with mercury in our high school science classes in the 90's and we knew it was dangerous then. We simply had to follow the rules when handling it, now they don't even let kids play with ethylene glycol, glycerol or copper sulfate.

Some kid broke a couple of thermometers in a classroom a couple years ago around here and the EPA was called when word got out to some helicopter parent.

Okay, with you so far...

They brought in a device to measure the mercury vapor level in the room and the room was declared a hazard after taking the air measurements. The room became a suit-up, limited exposure-time environment while they figured out what to do.

If the readings were that bad, does that mean that they were overreacting?

Students houses were visited and clothing and shoes bagged for hazmat disposal. Seriously. I believe the room's carpet is now rolled up and buried in a hazardous chemicals disposal facility. The paranoia prevalent today about mercury is ridiculous and is unfortunately being backed up by supposed scientific authorities.

People love to complain about the authorities, but think about it for a minute... It costs money to enforce regulations. Departments are only given limited budgets. They're not going to add to their regulatory duties things that don't matter for no good reason, as they already have enough problems regulating the stuff that really needs it. Add to that, schools don't want to be liable for physically hurting kids during their childhood and adolescent development, and will very likely follow the guidelines of their risk-management departments to attempt to mitigate the potential for lawsuits later.

It's funny that my generation is not the one with all the crazy levels of autism claims, and we're the ones that freely played around with mercury in our chemistry classes.

No, but your generation's children have come down with all manner of interesting diseases and conditions. Maybe something related there...

The mercury switches were a source of mercury not a source of switches. The presence of chemicals suggest the possibility of making mercury fulminate which is a friction and pressure sensitive explosive that can be used to trigger larger explosive charges.

In other words, The fear wasn't that he would make some elaborate Hollywood bombs, it is that he would make blasting caps and explode real explosives that could be a bomb. If you have a legitimate reason - and yes experiments is legitimate - to have mercu

There is nothing in TFA about breaking (to enter). An abandoned warehouse most likely has already had all its windows broken out by vandals, and if there are any "homeless" people in the neighborhood they've already broken the locks so they can get in at night for shelter. So: trespass (if it's posted), illegal entry, and petty theft (if the building is not truly abandoned).

Part of the caution the police should be using is starting with interviewing the kid. They acted foolishly.

Its breaking and entering in my neck of the woods if you enter any premises unlawfully or by deception, or coercion with the intention of committing a crime. There is no need to actually break anything physically.

I'm assuming they did talk to the boy. However, would you volunteer information that could further convict you of criminal acts? I sure wouldn't so even if i was building a bomb, i wouldn't admit to it without knowing they already knew. Even then i would likely deny it. The cops probably know i would not be the first person to ever think that way. Their caution was justified even though it turned out to be for nothing.

You are right, it doesn't, but good chance we all have done similar. If not, I weep for your young adulthood. It was abandoned and a calculated risk of a kid who couldn't afford to buy his own. This is what we call a gray area, the intention was fine by most but by the law, his life will be ruined in the pursuit of further knowledge.

Yay America.... Where gaining and pursuing knowledge is socially unacceptable.

There is a difference between rummaging say in a trash can/dumpster/pile of rotting and rusting stuff in an open field where the owner has clearly formed the intent to discard the items and entering a building and removing things.

I mean, granted, he's 18 so he's legally an adult for most purposes, but the proper response is still a "you have to make sure owner X doesn't mind", not a "you little thief!" Unless they have a major problem with this particular 18 year old or they just won't stop, you solve this with conversation.

Kids break laws every day. Things like trespassing (shortcut through a neighbor's yard), assault & battery (fighting another kid without their consent or other legal defense), defamation (your mom's a ____), and a dozen other things.

If he were 14 or under, maybe even 15, the conversation would be appropriate. But when someone is old enough to drive, which means take responsibility for a 3000# vehicle at 70+ MPH, the entitled little shit is also old enough to know that he shouldn't be sneaking into other people's property and taking their shit, abandoned or not.

Hahahahahaha

"entitled little shit" I see you are not familiar with people who tend to randomly wander around abandoned buildings. It's usually not rich kids.

Wait just a moment here. Its not like he just purchases some perfectly legal stuff, and that prompted a police raid.

He committed crimes, trespass and theft. That is one of the reasons we have police to investigate crimes. They discovered that the things taken were of a nature know to have dangerous applications. The followed up in a way that was reasonable if perhaps more cautious than I might have been given the suspect was just a middle class teenager.

You have two morning newscasts, a lunchtime newscast, an afternoon newscast, and an evening newscast. You also have airtime between those newscasts to fill, and a lot of stations are taking to making their news staff run coffeetalk shows or other roundtable type non-news shows on the same sets as the news shows because they're cheaper to produce than it is to license reruns, and new content often gets better ratings. It's now worse worse because there's usually less local stuff to report on, so any little thing has to become very, very important so to keep the audience hooked. Consequently, "high school student trespasses, steals old thermostats from broken-down warehouse," becomes, "man breaks into warehouse to steal materials that could be used in a bomb! Oh mah gawd!"

All I need from my local news is the traffic, the weather, a calendar of upcoming municipal-sized events that could either disrupt traffic or could be fun to go to, and news of patterns of significant crimes taking place outside of parts of town where they're expected. That's really it.

"I don't see a problem with this, but you have to trust the authorities in they're doing what they think is best,"

Wow, first post and first Godwin.

There is a big difference between, "police investigate suspicious activity and determine there is no threat" and "secret police ferret out Jews, homosexuals, gypsies and send to death camps." Yes, it's a bummer that basic curiosity and experimentation is suspicious and that we live in a society so scared of terrorism that we jump at shadows. But Nazis? Please...

Yes, it's a bummer that basic curiosity and experimentation is suspicious and that we live in a society so scared of terrorism that we jump at shadows. But Nazis? Please...

It's not about what the cops did, it's about the sheepish reaction from the neighbor, whose "Don't question authority" attitude lends itself to the formation of authoritarian regimes. Eternal vigilance to tyranny is the price of liberty, but most people are more concerned with bread and circuses because thinking is too hard.

A ton of Slashdotters typically start railing on about excessive safety/ risk adversion culture bu the reality is that modern day law enforcement frowns very heavily on private labs of any description especially chemical labs. Outside of someone living in a mansion in the middle of nowhere, any and all labs are going to be suspected of drug manufacture and materials will be confiscated under whatever regulations.

Eventually, they'll start doing this to makers and 3D printers as well over gun parts or illici

"salvaging mercury switches, which can be used to detonate explosives""...switches, which can be used to detonate explosives""...switches, which are used to detonate explosives""...switches...explosives""...explosives"

ARREST HIM!!!

Really? Wires are used to make explosives too. Duct tape is used to make explosives. Solder is used to make explosives.What's our plan? Arrest all the electricians, day laborers and jewelry craft hobbyists as terrorists?

I think we're well past the point of intellect here and it's long since been illegal to be inquisitive and inventive. Don't ask questions, child. Your role is to consume: You should consume. Now go play with this ball...

If the police knew the community, they could have asked about the kid and found out the background. Unfortunately that sort of intelligence - in both senses - is lacking in police forces these days, so they just charge in and make idiots of themselves. Actually the judge that granted the warrant should be shouted at as well - he should have asked those questions...

Give me any house or apartment to search and I'd be damned surprised if I couldn't find some things that could be used to create explosives.

Hell, strip the ends off an extension cord, put them in water, plug it in (may need to add a bit of salt for conductivity) and you get a nice mix of H2 and O2 bubbling off. Throw a diode in the circuit if you don't want them mixing at the electrodes (because of the AC).

A bag of flour (or better, corn starch) can take down a building if you disperse it into the air properly before lighting. If the stove or water heater or furnace is gas powered... a cubic foot of natural gas is about equivalent to four sticks of dynamite.

And that's not even getting into the more exotic household or garden chemicals and cleaners.

"some things that could be used to create explosives" -- no shit, Sherlock.

I have chlorine bleach and ammonia cleaner in my house. Almost everyone has dangerous chemicals that could be used to make explosives. I used to have a gallon of methyl ethyl ketone in my garage but I loaned it out and never saw it again. You can buy all kinds of stuff at any hardware store to fight WW3. We've got to get past the paranoia. It is absolutely impossible to make life 100 percent safe and trying to do so doesn't make it safer just more miserable.

I can't say I RTFA, but when the police shut down the street and show up at your front door with the bomb squad, most people don't realize they have the right to ask for a warrant.

You have the right to ask for a warrant, but woe upon you if you do. This is one of those situations where you are screwed no matter what. If you ask for a warrant after the bomb squad took the effort to get out there, they WILL make it worth their while. You may find yourself forcibly detained while they call up a judge to get a warrant. Note that it is also illegal to detain someone for the time it takes to get a warrant, but that won't stop them from doing it.
In this case, the safest thing for them to do was to give up their right to request a warrant. Not that I think that is right. But that is now the world we live in.

I can't say I RTFA, but when the police shut down the street and show up at your front door with the bomb squad, most people don't realize they have the right to ask for a warrant.

People always have the right to *ask* for a warrant, but the police don't always need one.

Our paramilitary police forces make increasing use of "no knock warrants." It is very difficult to ask to see a warrant when your ears are ringing from the flash-bang and very difficult to be rational when your baby's face is on fire [inquisitr.com]

I love how they say that Mercury switches can detonate explosives, as if any other switch can't.

This is exactly the reason I got out of the hobby, too many hobbyists getting raided (Especially after 9/11). And if they do decide they want to go after you, you're screwed. Magnetic stirrers, pyrex glasses, even coffee pots can be considered "bomb making equipment" in their eyes.

Vitamin C is a reducing agent and makes a pretty good explosive if you have an oxidizer, even a mild one like a nitrate salt. It has an electron pair that it's dying to get rid of.
I used to make nitrogen triiodide out of iodine and ammonia. In an excess of ammonia it seemed pretty stable, but once the stuff dries out, a feather can make it detonate. I'd leave a soaked paper towel in front of some other kid's house, run off, and once it dried... kaboom! So of course, I spilled it on my shirt once, and the crystals were already going snap-crackle-pop before I could take it off. I remember my mother asking why my shirt was making such a racket.

It seems pretty stable if you keep it under ammonia. In fact I had some in a bottle of ammonia for a few weeks. I uncovered it later and was really surprised- the black powder had undergone some sort of metamorphosis into these large bright orange opaque crystals, kind of pretty looking actually. I still don't know what that stuff was; and never found any information ever since. I guess people don't do much research into nitrogen triiodide.

So, mercury switches are more interesting to law enforcement than other types. He was into experimenting with chemicals. He was caught trespassing to acquire mercury switches. Of course he was interesting to law enforcement.

I used to use them all the time. They have (Well, had) many applications other than a bomb. I've probably got half a dozen in the form of floating lights for fishing nets. They were also frequently used in vending machines/pinball tables (Tilt alarm), cars for trunk/hatch lights, hazardous locations (Interrupting the circuit would not emit a spark).

I hate how chemistry is now an "off-limits" hobby. It's like trying to look up anything involving electrical schematics with a computer in a public place, such as a library. I frequently have people I have never met or seen before sneak up behind me and exclaim loudly "IS THAT A BOMB?". No, dipshit. Not everything home made with wires and capacitors is a bomb.

Yep, overnight at 11:59:59 on the eve of not being 17, a switch flips and they magically become grown-up. If you ever spend time interacting with 18 year olds (for example teaching undergrads), you will realise they are most definitely kids from the perspective of someone older. Hell, a good number haven't finished growing upwards yet, never mind losing the skinny teenager look.

I love how they say that Mercury switches can detonate explosives,... even coffee pots can be considered "bomb making equipment" in their eyes.

That's why the (nearly empty) cup of coffee on the table next to me was made in a small saucepan on the stove. Actually, it's mostly because it makes better-tasting coffee than any of the coffee makers that we have stored in the basement, to be brought out when we have a crowd. And I can easily make just one cup, which is normally all I want. (My wife doesn't drink the stuff; she prefers tea, which she also makes in a cup or in a small pitcher for groups).

Of course, there's a potential danger that the authorities will hear about this, investigate, and decide that I'm making coffee via a Middle-Eastern method, which makes me a terrorist suspect. OTOH, I actually learned the method from my Scandinavian friends and relatives in the Mid-West, so maybe it's OK. And on the third hand, Scandinavians are all liberal socialists, don'cha know?

In any case, it's getting hard to find anything that can't be considered part of bomb making. Are you breathing oxygen? Don't you know that most explosives work via a reaction with oxygen in the air?

Don't you know that most explosives work via a reaction with oxygen in the air?

Actually no, most don't, unless you're talking about fuel-air explosions (which can be bloody huge!). Most solid or liquid explosives use an oxidizer that's part of the mix -- or don't use an oxidizer as such at all, but rather their rather unstable molecular configuration degenerates to a lower energy state with much release of energy and component parts (most high explosives).

Don't you know that most explosives work via a reaction with oxygen in the air?

Actually no, most don't, unless you're talking about fuel-air explosions (which can be bloody huge!). Most solid or liquid explosives use an oxidizer that's part of the mix -- or don't use an oxidizer as such at all, but rather their rather unstable molecular configuration degenerates to a lower energy state with much release of energy and component parts (most high explosives).

(Shhh!!! Don't let on that you know something about explosives, especially high explosives. They'll be after you next.;-)

when I was about 12 in the mid 80's I rode my bike 10 miles to Radio Shack and bought all of the Mercury Switches they had (4?) for about $1.50 each. I built people detectors which consisted of a copper tube with batteries, Mercury switch, on/off push button, and siren. When we played hide and seek or paintball I could arm one and put a string across a path. If someone hit the string the siren would go off.

I lost one or so I thought. A kid found one and took it home. His Mom called the cops because she thought it was a bomb. The kid ratted me out as the builder. The cop showed up at my house and asked me to come look at something. I followed him and one of these devices was in the street. I told the cop what it was and he laughed and told me to pick it up and take it home.

At the very most he should be charged with trespassing (for being somewhere he wasn't allowed to be) and theft (for stealing the mercury switches) and given a minimal punishment along with clear instructions not to go places he isn't allowed to go or take things that don't belong to him.

A lot of them I don't fully understand, but I'm certain he's not making bombs

There's a lot of steps in making explosives which don't look pretty innocuous if you don't know what you're looking for.

For example, when I was a teen we used to make black powder in large batches. In Canada, a teen couldn't just go into a store and buy it, and even getting hold of large quantities of potassium nitrate was challenging. So we did chemistry using readily available things like fertilizer and drain cleaner.

In Canada, a teen couldn't just go into a store and buy it, and even getting hold of large quantities of potassium nitrate was challenging.

Don't know how old you are, but when I was a kid in Toronto in the mid-1960s we could (and did) go down to the local drug store and buy potassium nitrate in 1-pound containers. Ditto sulphur, so long as you weren't stupid enough to try to buy both at the same time. (At least we never tried that, we just assumed that the cashier would be at least as knowledgeable as

"He let police search the house to examine all his materials and chemicals, where they found some things they told him could be used to create explosives."

Well. That's a very broad range of possibilities there. I could (hypothetically speaking) create explosives from wheat flour - all I need do is mix it with the right amount of air and light a match. Granted, not a particularly useful explosive, but it'd be an explosive nonetheless. An LPG tank, of the sort that can be found around many houses, is potentially explosive. Standard agricultural fertiliser is well known to be potentially useful as a precursor to explosives. And on, and on, and on. Chemistry and explosives are so intricately interlinked, it is impossible to separate them - not if you're looking to learn something significant.

"Mercury switches can be used to detonate explosives"? Well, so can a simple battery with a timer. Doesn't mean that that's what was going to happen.

What happened to the benefit of the doubt? Of talking to people, understanding what they're up to, and having a calm, measured response? Oh, that's right, society in general is moving towards a police state, and even if somebody is not up to no good, we have to make society think that they are, so that we can justify these new laws and procedures...

"Mercury switches can be used to detonate explosives"? Well, so can a simple battery with a timer. Doesn't mean that that's what was going to happen.

For anyone who has a modicum of Chemistry education, it's crystal clear that the kid was after the Hg in the switches, as the contents of wet-contact switches is about the only way to obtain that fascinating metal in a hobby setting.

...that we are designed to live in relatively small communities. In a small village everyone know what everyone is doing or their nature well enough to trust them. Sometimes this is a mistake, it is not the stranger that is the danger. When you get larger communities it starts to break down.

Oh, and yes, "trespassing" is bad -- that's why I'm sure none of us ever did it as children. Never mind that this kid was probably doing a favor for whomever eventually tries to rehabilitate or demolish the building, by removing hazardous materials from it. Something tells me that they don't always go around pulling all these mercury-bearing switches for "proper disposal" before they start demolition.

But, yeah, if you go in where you're not allowed, you can get in trouble. Especially if you take stuff witho

The article cites two excellent examples of why the Hapeville bomb squad needs to be dropped from next year's budget. I'm not sure of the county authorities would be any better, but if the local squad's hapless misjudgment of risk leads to wasted funds on response, wasted funds on defending their mistake, wasted funds on legal restitution (I sincerely hope the kid and his parents sue the city), and general loss of reputation for the city... then the bomb squad is a liability in terms of finance, risk, and reputation. The most obvious response is to take the toys away from the idiots.

Good point. I know if I was on the bomb squad I'd be dying for an opportunity to do something. Being on that squad in Hapeville has to be some boring shit. No wonder they jumped at the chance to actually do something....anything.

The article cites two excellent examples of why the Hapeville bomb squad needs to be dropped from next year's budget. I'm not sure of the county authorities would be any better, but if the local squad's hapless misjudgment of risk leads to wasted funds on response, wasted funds on defending their mistake, wasted funds on legal restitution (I sincerely hope the kid and his parents sue the city), and general loss of reputation for the city... then the bomb squad is a liability in terms of finance, risk, and reputation. The most obvious response is to take the toys away from the idiots.

Don't fight them, defund 'em.

They don't need a bomb squad anyway: Hartsfield International Airport sits literally right in the middle of Hapeville but is considered part of Atlanta and patrolled by APD. They have bomb squad members stationed there and they could be mobilized for any potential threats in the surrounding area. The city of Hapeville could then take the money saved put it into infrastructure because there are some very rough areas around there.

According to the suspect's father, the bomb scare started after his 18-year-old son was arrested for trespassing, entering an abandoned warehouse and salvaging mercury switches...

That fenced-off warehouse may look abandoned, but that doesn't make it your personal salvage yard.

It's been a long time since the home chemist has been encouraged to muck around with mercury; scavenging industrial sites for mercury in any quantity makes you a "person of interest" to the police, to say the least.

"He does do a lot of experiments. A lot of them I don't fully understand, but I'm certain he's not making bombs," said the suspect's father, Allen Mason"

Oh? How are you so certain? You just said you don't know what he's doing. Ergo, you don't know what he's doing.

I know, I know... Slashdotters will all side with the "experimenter", because geek. But it sounds like the police are acting based on evidence, while the defense is acting based on blind faith. In such cases, I side with evidence.

"He does do a lot of experiments. A lot of them I don't fully understand, but I'm certain he's not making bombs," said the suspect's father, Allen Mason"

Oh? How are you so certain? You just said you don't know what he's doing. Ergo, you don't know what he's doing.

I know, I know... Slashdotters will all side with the "experimenter", because geek. But it sounds like the police are acting based on evidence, while the defense is acting based on blind faith. In such cases, I side with evidence.

As a parent, it's possible that the father actually pays attention to what his kid does with his time. And of course the kid & father can easily have an open relationship, which could mean the kid doesn't hide what he does from his dad. While his dad may not understand the what the kid is doing, but understand the kid enough to know that it's harmless.

I have a friend from South Carolina who moved to Florida and was gone from his home town for five years or so. He felt a strong calling to get back together with his high school sweetheart and after letters and phone calls sent her a package. Instead of the Post Office delivering the package the police came to her home with the package. The police were concerned that the package came from Florida. You know, Florida! The land of perverts, junkies and people who are not baptists. The cops wanted to protect her in case something shocking or perverse was inside this package from the godless land called Florida. So they opened the package in front of her to reveal the treats that girls tend to like such as candy, perfume and other fluff. She then informed them that packages from her boy friend should be allowed to be delivered to her home. This all happened well before 9/11. Apparently small towns in the deep south look at other US states about like we look at Syria or Yemen.

Here in the Boston area, we're still making jokes about the 2007 bomb scare [wikipedia.org] caused by a set of "art works" (actually ads), small electronic displays hung up mostly along main streets around the city. Even the Marathon bombing didn't stop the humor surrounding the police takedown of this "art". Rather, the bombing is generally understood as a major bit of evidence that all the supposed security precautions are worthless. "They can stop street artists (or ad agencies;-), but they can't stop actual terrorists." We also hear versions of what this story will no doubt trigger: comments to the effect that it's no surprise that the US can no longer match the technology of most 3rd-world countries; just look at what they do to a kid trying to become competent in some technical specialty. They obviously don't want us turning our kids into chemical engineers, or any other kinds of engineers. To the authorities, that stuff looks a lot like terrorism, y'know.

Stories like this are much of what led to the rise of the phrase "security theater". (If you're not familiar with it, just google it.)

Electronic devices with lights shaped in the likeness of characters from an obscure television show that nobody born before 1990 had ever heard of, posed in a gesture that is universally understood to convey "fuck you".

I was born in the 1970s you presumptuous twit.

n!m (-_-) m!n

I hope you can see that because I'm doing it as hard as I can - literally. Damn lack of unicode support.

Now if you think posting devices with hostile messages around a metropolitan area is a good idea, then I have bridge you may be interested in...

About this bridge..

And no, "because it's art" is not a reasonable explanation.

"Because I know it'll piss off small-minded blinkered twats that need to get out of their own arses and accept that other people have different forms of expression" is however a reasonable explanation.

But I live in a country that celebrates being the birthplace of Banksy.

All the mercury switches your little terrorist hands can handle for $1.89 ea plus $1.99 shipping. Thank golly none of the terrorists know about that site

Yes, but those will have a very easy to search record. Hell, Frys is probably required to report they were purchased. It would actually take more than a search of a database to track down scavenged switches. Not that it would be difficult to purchase them anonymously, but the authorities hate having to do extra work. In the post 9/11 world, that's practically a crime.

I'm quite certain that someone has bought that quantity or more of mercury switches from Frys in the past and I would bet money that no SWAT team showed up at their door.